From April 13 to 15, Lagosians and Afrobeat music enthusiasts from all over the world will step into unforgettable nights of dance and music by the late Afrobeat maestro, Fela Kuti. The event which is tagged,, ‘Fela! The Concert’, berths in Lagos, courtesy of Smooth FM the Easter weekend at the Eko Convention Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Conceived by iconic Bill T. Jones and using his pioneering music, a blend of jazz, funk, African rhythm and harmonies, the musical explores Fela’s controversial life as an artist, a political activist and revolutionary musician. Featuring many of Fela Kuti’s most captivating songs and imaginative staging, the show is a provocative hybrid of concert, dance and musical theatre unlike the last edition in April, 2011.
As the pioneering forefather of Afrobeat, Fela Kuti’s musical legacy is as influential as the story of his extraordinary life. In a chaotic world burdened with non-stop reformation, many look to music as a means of escaping the problems of the world. Fela did the opposite. His music was borne of humanity and an overriding quest to influence the tide of the tempests tormenting civilisation.
‘Fela! The Concert,’ which stars cast members of the Tony Award winning Broadway musical welcome music lovers and audiences into the extravagant and rebellious world of the Afrobeat legend.
Its patterning shapes history and emotions even as it proclaims an orderly universe. Thus it lives on after the last notes have fallen silent, on the lips of the proverbial music great. Fela Anikulapo- Kuti was indeed a music great; that is why his melodies experience persistent rebirth in several forms, every year.
Tickets would be sold from February 13 at Eko hotel, Quickteller, Afritickets, Naija Ticket Shop, Terra Kulture , The Jazz Hole and Smooth FM Studios.
Famed as the creator of Afrobeats music, Fela Kuti was born as Olufela Ransome-Kuti on October, 15, 1938 and died August 2, 1997. The controversial artiste and political activist who at one point married his 27 back-up singers later changed his name to Fela Anikulapo Kuti.